morse



. (NoModel.)

G. W. MORSE.

POCKET CARTRIDGE LOADER. No. 361,966. Patented Apr. 26, 1887 ffm/Kam Iliff/Irl ILL? www W UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE YV. MORSE, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

POCKET CARTRIDGE-LOADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,966, dated April 26, 1887.

Application filed March Q8, '1887. Serial No. 232,800. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.:

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. MoRsE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket Cartridge-Loaders, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to cartridge-loading tools or implements, and has for its object to provide an assemblage in the smallest possible compass of apoeket-loader or complete kit for uneapping, capping, cleaning, and loading cartridges, for swaging or crimping the shell around the bullet, and for expanding and litting re-enforcing or other cups in the base of cartridges.

In the drawings forming a part of this speciiication, Figure l is a sectional view, with parts in elevation, showing the cap being driven from its seat in the cartridge. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cap-punch adjusted ready to drive a new cap to its seat. Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a loaded cartridge and illustrating the method of inserting the bullet. Fig. 4 is a section showing cup-spreader and its mode of operation. Fig. 5 is a section showing the socket, cartridge, and punch in position to drive the movable head and rubber packing from the shell. Fig. 6 is a view in section and elevation of the two parts of the socket-tube and an elevation of the bullet-punch. Fig. 7 is a crosssection through line rv a: of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an external view of the compactly-nested parts as assembled when not in use, and Fig. 9 is a section showing a loader adapted for a Martini-Henry or bottlenecked cartridge.

A A is a tubular socket or holder for a cartridgeshell while being uncapped, capped, or loaded.

B is a punch for uncapping cartridges and Vfor seating rubber or other like gaskets in the base of cartridges, and for driving the head therefrom.

C is a removable base or head piece for the socket.

D is a capsetting punch.

E is a bullet-punch, F a cup-spreading punch, and H is a spring attached to and embracing the socket for holding the parts together when assembled, and for holding a stoppin to its work.

The socket A A is made up of two parts, coupled together by square or heavy screwthreads, so that it may be extended and con tracted in length, for a purpose hereinafter described. The part A is formed or provided with a collar or shoulder, a, which serves as a stop or gage for the base or head piece C. This part is also slotted or cut away at one end, as particularly shown at a', Fig. 6, the projecting segments being screw-threaded, as shown.

The part A of the socketis externally screwthreaded, and is provided with indentations arranged spiral] y around it, (marked 1 2 3, &c.,) as shown in Fig. 6. It is also provided with an internal tapering shoulder, z, for swaging the end of the shell to secure the bullet in position, as shown in Fig. 9. The parts A and A are screwed together until the spring-actuu ated stop-pin i is forced into the first indentation, when it is adjusted as a loading-socket, as shown in section in Figs. l to 5, and is held from accidental change by said stop-pin t'. When a number of cartridges have been loaded and it is desired to swage or crimp the shell around the ball, the part A is screwed down from onehundredth to one-tenth of an inch, according to the amount of crimp desired. This operation shortens the socket-tube and brings the tapering shoulder z into range of the end of the cartridge when driven down, and swages or crimps the end of the cartridge around the ball, as shown in Fig. 9.

The punch B has formed at one extremity a stud, b, which passes through the central hole in the cap-pocket and drives the cap therefrom. Adjacent to this stud is a punch to drive out the head or base of the cartridge, when desired, for cleaning or other purposes,

the operation being illustrated in Fig. 5. The shoulder around the head-punch serves as a punch for pushing down and seating a rubber or other like gasket in the bottom of the cartridge, (shown in Fig. 1,) and for pushing it out, as shown in Fig. 5. The stem or handle of this punch has attached to it a steel disk, b', having an edge for scraping and cleaning` the ashes and residuum of powder from the interior of the cartridge-cases. This disk or scraper may be immovably attached to the handle, as shown in Fig. 1, or may be adjustably connected therewith, as shown in Fig. 5.

The base or head piece C is perforated at the center to permit of the removal of the cap by the uncapping -punch and to serve as a guide for the cap in recapping the cartridge. Said head-piece is also provided with a bead or rib, c, to co-operate with a spring-catch holding the parts together. 'Vhen the end of the base or head piece rests against the shoulder a, there is just room enough for a cartridge-head between the end of the socket and the bottom of said head-piece.

The cap-punch D is made in the form of a cup, with a central internal punch, d, just long enough for driving the cap to its seat 1n the cartridge. The sides fit over the headpiece and guide the punch to accurately seat the cap.

The bullet-punch E consists of a punch proper for forcing the bullet to position and adapted to enter the mouth of -the socket and of a tubular part to fit over the outside of the socket and guide the punch part. The punch is perforated to permit the handle of the eappunch B to extend therethrough when the parts are assembled, as shown in Fig. 8. The tubular part is made with segmental extensions c at one end, adapted to extend into the slots a of the part A of the socket. These segmental extensions are provided with steps c' and with outside notches, e?.

In setting along bullet, the punch is driven down until the ends of the extensions e are arrested by the adjacent end of the part A, which serves as a gage or limiting-shoulder onthe socket, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In setting 'a short bullet it should be driven down until the step e' comes in contact with the limitingshoulder or the top of part A, and for driving the shell out of the socket the segmental extensions e enter the slots or notches a and the punch part the mouth of the socket. By this the lengths of the loaded cartridges are gaged to the proper length, the accurate insertion of the bullet is insured, and the loaded and crimped cartridge is readily removed from the socket. Y

The outer case of the Morse movable-base cartridge, the Berdau cartridge, and other like cartridges having a cup combined therewith often expands away from the cup, leaving it loose in the shell.

To expand and lit the cup in the base ofthe shell, I provide a cup-spreader, F, (shown in Fig. 4,) having one end of the form of the end of the projectile to t the concavityin the bullet-punch and having the other end conical, bored out, counterbored, and split, as shown.

To expand a cup in the base of the outer case, the spreader F is inserted into the shell, and is driven down until arrested by striking the bottom of the cartridge. In this operation the cap-pocket of the cartridge, operating in the conical counterbore of the punch, spreads the staves or segments, and thus spreads the cup and fits it tightly in the shell.

H is a three-part spring made from a single plate, made to embrace the part A ot' the socket, and attached thereto by screws, as shown in Fig. 7. This spring has a Wing or part, h, which holds the pin z to its work, a wing or part having an indentation, h', which engages the notch e'z of the bullet-punch, and a wing and lip, h2, to engage the rib c on the base or head piece C, to hold the parts t0- gether when assembled and nested, as shownV in Fig. 8.

Having described my invention, I claim- A .1. The combination of a loading tube or socket, a movable cap or head 'piece having a guide-hole for a primer, and au uncappingpunch, as specified.

2. In a pocket cartridge-loading implement, the combination of a holder or socket tube having external limiting shoulders or abutments, a movable cap or head piece, and a bulletpunch, both limited by said shoulders, for accurately setting the bullet and gaging thecartridge.

3. The combination of a loading tube or socket, a removable cap or head piece having a guide-hole for a primer, and a cappingpunch, substantially as described.

4. In a pocket cartridge-loading implement, the combination, with the punch-handle, of a scraping-disk for cleaning cartridges, as specitied.

5. The combination of a holder or socket tube and a thimble-shaped bullet-punch accurately guided to its work by sliding over the holder and limited in its movement by ashoulder on the holder, as specified.

6. The combination ot' the socket-tube, the capping-punch, the bullet-punch, and springlOO IIO

catch for locking them together when not in use, as specified.

- 7. The combined uncapping, head -expelling, and rubber or gasket setting punch, consisting of a cylindrical portion for expelling the head, a shoulder for setting the gasket, and a stem portion for uncapping the shell, as specified.

8. The cup-spreader herein described, consisting of a conical expanding-punch, one end thereof being bored out and split to permit of expansion and the bore beingcountersunk to t over the cap-pocket to spread the punch and mouth of the cup against the walls of the cartridge.

9. The combination of the socket-tube, the

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bullet-setting punch, and :L cup-spreading punch, as Specified.

10. In a cartridge-loading implement, the combination of two tubular parts, one of GEO. W. MORSE.

5 which is provided with a crimping-shoulder,

and a suitable spring-locking device, substantially as described, for holding the parts in any desired relation to each other, as speci- In testimony whereof I amx my signature in lo presence of two witnesses.

l/Vtnesses:

WM. M. STOCKBRIDG E,

` JULIUS LEEDE.

fled. 

